Roses are Red, and So are Balloons
by DoctorPiper
Summary: The Doctor lands in an alternate universe and tries his best to avoid someone familiar. Disclaimer: I own neither Doctor Who nor the characters in this fanfiction.


The TARDIS slowly came into view on the seemingly uninhabited beach. The Doctor had turned the brakes off, in the hopes of staying quiet and unnoticed. He opened the TARDIS doors and looked out, left, then right, smiled, and walked out onto the familiar sand. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, taking in the scent of the ocean and the sound of the gentle waves. When he let out his breath and opened his eyes, he excitedly, almost childishly, turned around, locked the TARDIS, and quickly went off.

Once in London, he went to a steady, calm pace, hands in pockets, looking around at the familiar, yet slightly different, scenery. Suddenly, he glimpsed a familiar head of yellow hair…that beautiful, golden hair. Realization hit him, and he ran to the nearest building, hiding, back against the wall, eyes closed, breathing a bit heavier than usual.

All the while, a young, yellow-haired woman had felt something different in the atmosphere. Something good. She walked around London, not sure what she was looking for. Then she saw him. Her eyes widened, and she stood there for a moment—after he had run off—in shock. "It's him," she muttered to herself. Slowly, a grin spread across her face, her eyes sparkling. She made her way through the crowd to the building the man had hidden behind. She turned the corner, and saw him.

"I know who you are," she said. The Doctor opened his eyes and let out a breath he had been holding for a short while. He looked at her, taking in her beautiful hair, her smile, her eyes.

"Rose," he said quietly, his eyes swimming with the tears that were forming. Then, an adorable grin spread across his face, and his eyes sparkled with child-like innocence and happiness.

"Look at you!" Rose exclaimed. "You've changed." She reached up to the Doctor…_her_ Doctor, and stroked his cheek softly. "You look good, but…"

The Doctor frowned slightly, "But? But what?"

Rose took her hand back, put it on her hip, looked him up and down, and said, "What are you wearing? And what's with…" she reached up and adjusted his crooked bow tie, "…this?"

The Doctor stood upright, his back completely straight, adjusted his tweed jacket a bit, and replied, "It's a bow tie. I wear bow ties now. Bow ties are cool."

Rose laughed and embraced her Doctor. He stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do, then he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. She buried her face into his chest, and he buried his in her shoulder. He could feel a few tears passing through his eyelids, and he felt Rose shake a bit. He pulled away to look at her face. "Rose? Are you alright?"

She smiled up at him, her eyes a bit red, tears still in her eyes, and said, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, I'm—I just…I never thought I'd see you again."

"I'm here, Rose," the Doctor said. He wanted to make her feel better. He wanted to tell her that everything would be okay, that he could stay there with her, and she could see him all the time. But he couldn't. He couldn't stay there. He couldn't see her all the time. As a matter of fact, he would probably never see her again. This really was the last time. One last moment with the woman he loved. "For now."

"How long?" she asked, meeting his eyes.

"Only a few hours," he replied.

"That's enough for me," Rose said as she smiled and pulled the Doctor to her, kissing him passionately. They stood there for a bit, embracing, wrapped up in each other both physically and emotionally.

When it came time to part, the Doctor walked with her to the TARDIS. Once there, he turned around, took Rose by the shoulders, put his forehead against hers, looked into her eyes, and said, "Wait here."

Rose stood there patiently, waiting for her Doctor to come out of the TARDIS. She was smiling slightly, but tears were still falling from her eyes. When he came back, he was grinning from ear-to-ear, holding a red balloon like a five-year-old. "Here," he said, handing it to her. He put the string in her hand and took her hand in his. "I know it won't last long, but you'll always remember it. Promise me. Promise me, Rose, that you'll always remember."

"Always, Doctor," Rose said, speaking through her soft sobs. The Doctor kissed her on the forehead, stroked her hair, and reluctantly turned away and went back into the TARDIS. Rose stood there as the TARDIS disappeared and stayed there for a few minutes before she turned around and walked back home, the red balloon in her hand, moving gently in the soft wind.


End file.
